A rabbit foot's luck
by Iroyuki
Summary: Lovino is a young servant boy who works for a Spanish merchant. After years of feeling hopeless and lonely, he meets an unexpected friend in the garden just as things are getting worse.
1. Chapter 1

The boat rocked violently as the waves brushed against it. The English flag waved proudly and beneath it, a certain blonde in a dark cloak chanted words unknown to other crew members.

"Yes. This curse will get that damn Carriedo out of here," he said darkly, a sadistic smirk spreading on his face.

The thunder sounded and he chanted the final line as the magic circle beneath him lit up a bright blue.

"Now, my secret weapon. Come forth!" The lightning came down and struck the blonde, shocking him before he watched the floor come up and everything went black just before it hit him.

...

A bright sun shun brightly on the fields. A young blonde stood and wiped the sweat from his brow. Picking up the basket filled with vegetation, he walked over to the younger girl a few feet away.

"Bella, that's enough for today." Green eyes moved up from the crops to look at the blonde in front of her. "Sure thing. You go on ahead, I'll get Lovino," the teen girl said, smiling sweetly. She stood and took the half filled basket into her hands as she ran off.

"Lovino! Lovino, it's time to go in already!" Bella spotted the young boy not too far away, sitting down with the large straw hat covering most of his face. "Lovino, come on. Ned is already going in," she said.

"Coming, Bella," The small boy said as he looked up at the blonde. He stood and brushed the dirt off his pants before lifting the small basket and running after the blonde girl inside the house. She smiled sweetly as he caught up and the two walked back to the house.

The sound of splashing greeted them and they turned to see the older teen sitting on the stool as he washed all the vegetables. "Damn Carriedo has us working like slaves," Ned said. Bella sighed and dumped her own into the large pot filled with water. "We are servants, not slaves. It's not so bad here," she argued.

With a 'tch,' Ned stood, taking another large pot filled with water and putting it by the fire. "Can you help me wash these?" Bella asked the young brunette. "I can help, Bella!" Lovino said, hoping to get praise from the pretty blonde.

"Thank you! You're such a little hard worker," she said smiling before walking over to the table. She continued to chop the vegetables as Lovino lifted his sleeves. Dipping his hands into the cold water, he lifted the first potato and began to scrub it to get the dirt off.

Grabbing the final carrot, he cleaned it and put aside into the basket before watching the eldest blonde lift the pot with the dirty water. "Your bath is ready, go wash up before dinner." Lovino stood and ran into the washroom as Ned and Bella continued their chores.

"Poor thing. He should be out and playing with other boys, not working," Bella said as she went about making dinner. "There aren't any other children here," Ned replied as he tossed the filthy water out. "I know, but still. Maybe we should find him a pet." Ned looked at his younger sister before giving a very stern 'no.'

"Carriedo wouldn't want some animal in his home. Remember the cat?" Bella sighed, remembering the last time she tried to bring in a stray cat when she was younger. She was scolded and sent to her room after having to go put the cat back where she found it.

"If he yells at us again, I will not hesitate to fight back this time," Ned said, a deep frown on his rather handsome face. "He never yelled at us without reason," Bella said as she tightened the ribbon around her short blonde hair.

"Bella, this isn't right! We have been working since we were kids. Lovino is a boy, he shouldn't be working at this age," Ned snapped.

"Well what do you expect? We don't have parents, were else are we supposed to go? Nowhere will let us stay for free. It's better than being on the streets," Bella argued.

"Bella," Ned sighed. "I'm going to get us out of here. Just you watch." Bella sighed and nodded before hugging her brother. The young sixteen year old was rather large for his age and his temper for their boss was on the shorter end.

Upstairs, Lovino could hear as the two spoke. He sighed, burying himself further into the warm water. At times, he wished he hadn't lived. He had been separated from his younger brother after the death of their grandfather.

They never heard from their parents, but both were sold off to different homes as servants. No, a slave rather. He had only been lucky enough to have Bella and Ned with him. He wondered if his brother had received better.

Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the young blonde come in. "Lovino, dinner is ready." He jumped but turned to see the sweet smile she always wore. He wondered how she did it, how she always managed to look so cheerful even when her life wasn't the princess one she deserved.

...

An empty ship filled with nothing but a few crates and old books thrashed about, leaving a trail of bodies as it moved forward. Against the rocky shore, it gave up and settled beneath the starry night.

"Blast it! My secret weapon totally back fired on me!" Arthur sighed and ran away from the mirror. He picked up the large leather binded book only to have it drip with water.

"Well then. Arthur Kirkland, I do believe your luck has run out," the blonde said with a sigh as he slumped to the floor. "Not even a rabbit's foot will help you out this time, old chap. Great, now I'm talking to myself."

He stood and wrung out his white gown before climbing out of the small room. He looked around, seeing noone in sight before jumping out of the ship and running into the tall grass where he hurried along to find anything to find out where he was.


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur sighed, dragging his feet as he walked along. All he saw was grass for a long walk, not one person in sight.

He tugged at his cloak and took a few final steps before collapsing. "Damn. This body can't handle too much walking," he said as he sat up tiredly.

He buried his face into his knees to catch his breath before hearing a voice. "Ned, you better not start a fight!" A female speaking a strange language. He crawled past the grass and found himself suddenly in a garden.

His stomach gave a loud growl as he looked at the crops. Carrots, cabbage, other things. He hopped over to the first carrot and gave a hard pull to get it out.

...

Bella pinned the sheet to dry and looked at the small boy that handed her another. He tugged on the hand-me-down shirt that used to be Ned's so long ago. Had it not been for that saved clothes, he would have been in a small maid's dress. "Where did Ned go?" Bella smiled down at him. "To buy meat," she replied. She could already imagine him trying to bargain for a lower price.

She looked back down to the small six year old, gathering sheets to help her with the laundry. "Why don't you go play for a bit?" The expression of shock he gave made her smile. "Can I really?" She nodded and he smiled before hugging her legs.

She hugged back and watched as he ran off into the garden.

...

Lovino ran into the garden and hopped around, being careful with any important crops. He stopped however, when he saw a green figure curled up on the floor. Stealthily making his way over, he pushed away the fear of an intruder the moment he saw a young boy.

He was curled up and sleeping, wrapped in a green cloak with the hood on. Lovino lifted the half eaten carrot, taking note of the other half eaten ones scattered about. He bent down and gently poked at the boy's face curiously. He hadn't seen another young boy his age since he was sold.

He poked again and watched his eyes crack open, revealing a bright green. The boy jumped up with a gasp and scooted back as he saw Lovino, dropping his hood as he did so. Lovino gasped as he stared at long rabbit ears coming out of the boys head.

"Are you a lucky rabbit?" Lovino's eyes glittered with amazement as Arthur only raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"A lucky rabbit!" Lovino repeated. "Ned said that rabbits are lucky. Is it true? You must be a powerful one if you look like a human." Arthur nervously looked around, hoping for an escape. "Do you grant wishes? I'll give you carrots if you grant my wish!" Arthur looked at the boy who's eyes sparkled. "Okay, fine. I'll grant your wish, but you have to let me go after, okay?"

Lovino nodded and reached over to pull out some carrots. He gathered three large ones and gave them to the rabbit. "Now, what do you want?" Arthur asked, hoping it would be something dumb that he can run away from. "I wish i had a friend. Or that Ned and Bella weren't always so sad." Arthur gave a look of surprise, not expecting such a wish.

"Who are they?" He asked curiously. "My family, sorta. Ned is always upset because señior Antonio makes us work everyday. He hasn't been home in a while though," Lovino said.

Arthur's breath hitched. "Antonio Carriedo?" Lovino nodded and Arthur scowled. "Do you know him?" Lovino was surprised when the rabbit's eyes widened and he ran off into the tall grass. "Mr. Rabbit?"

"Lovino? What are you doing?" He turned to see Ned walking over towards him. "Ned! I met a lucky rabbit, you just missed him. He ran over here!" Lovino said pulling the grass apart and finding noone in sight. "Lovino, Antonio would have had our heads if he saw this," Ned scolded as he lifted the half eaten carrots.

"But it wasn't me, Ned. It really was the rabbit. He was this big and he said he would grant me a wish if I gave him carrots," Lovino said. "Rabbit?" Ned asked suspiciously. "Lovino what did this rabbit look like?"

"Well he had blonde hair and Loong ears!" Lovino said gesturing with his hands. "And he had big green eyes and he wore a white dress with a green cloak," he explained. Ned frowned and lead the boy away. "Lovino, I don't want you coming to the garden alone anymore. Do you understand?" Lovino only nodded and went to help the blonde girl. "Get inside," Ned said, surprising Bella. "What happened?" She asked. "Lovino saw someone. Get inside and lock the door." Bella rushed inside with the small boy as Ned searched around.

"Lovino, who did you see?" Bella asked. "A lucky rabbit. He looked just like a small boy but he had long rabbit ears and was sleeping in the garden." Bella looked shocked before frowning. "We'll let Ned handle it. Let's prepare lunch," she said pushing him towards the kitchen.

...

Arthur ran back to the ship and gasped for air as he sat down. He had managed to escape before any of the older servants caught him. He looked at the dirty carrots in his small pouch and sighed.

Now that he knew where he was, it was important that he got out of there as soon as possible. He searched every book he could reach, finding none that could undo the curse.

His mind wandered to the small boy. A poor servant boy who worked with two other teens for the notorious Captain Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. He found a hint of pity as he remembered his sparkling hazel eyes.

"A friend he said? Well, I suppose another visit wouldn't hurt. Atleast until I reverse this curse," he murmured to himself.

...

Spanish sails waved brilliantly as the ship made it's way to shore. The tanned young man stood proudly, watching his beautiful home country come closer. Just a few hours until he came home and saw his adorable henchmen.

...

Ned searched the grass and every other area of land that belonged to the Spanish merchant. Finding noone in sight, he sighed and took a break by the large tree at the end of the field.

He found it strange. There was no way for someone to get away so quickly without being seen. There was the possibility that Lovino was lying, but the small boy rarely lied, unless he wet the bed.

He sighed and decided that perhaps he had found a large rabbit in the garden and his imagination did the rest. "Ned! Did you hear?" Ned looked up to see the passing neighbor. "Hear what?"

"Antonio is back. They saw the ship heading over, it should be here in maybe thirty minutes," the man said. Ned's eyes widened before he ran back to the house.

"Did you find him?" Lovino asked as soon as Ned walked in. "No. But get ready, Carriedo's ship is almost here," he said moving about to gather things. Lovino's eyes widened and he ran about to get a clean shirt as Bella removed her apron and tied the green ribbon in her hair. Taking his jacket, Ned hurried the younger two out before rushing to the ports.

...

Lovino held Bella's hand as they waited in the crowd. The two blondes certainly stood out in the crowd of Spanish families and Lovino only watched as the boat docked. They searched through the crowd until the large Spaniard stepped in front of them, heavy leather boots stomping loudly.

"Hola, Lovi!" His green eyes glittered as he lifted the small boy into his arms. "You finally came back, bastard." He murmured as he crossed his arms. "Lo siento! I didn't think it would take this long," Antonio said with a pout. "Aren't you happy I'm back though?" He asked smiling widely. "I'm furious!" Lovino said, throwing his small fist into the air. The Spaniard let out a bright laugh before looking at the two blonde siblings. "My henchmen are all here! I'm touched," he said patting Bella's head. Ned's frown depended while Bella only smiled at him. "Welcome back, señior Carriedo."

"Bella, I said you can call me boss," he said, smile never faltering. "Yes, boss," she replied nervously. Antonio's eyes moved to the larger blonde beside her. "Ned! You still have the big frown? Come on, smile for once! You'll never get a girlfriend with a face like that." Antonio laughed as Ned's frown turned to darker glare.

"Let's go home. We're having guest tonight so let's get started on the feast right away," he said as he walked on, the small Italian boy still in his arms.

...

A/N: btw England turned into chibi bunny England


	3. Chapter 3

Bella rushed about as she hurried to prepare a large feast. "Do you need any help Ms. Bella?" She looked down surprised at the small boy. "No, that's okay dear. You go and play," she said. Lovino nodded and walked about, not knowing what else to do.

Due the incident earlier, Ned didn't allow him out into the garden, nor was he allowed by the boss's room. He could hear muffled voices and he was pretty sure Ned was in there arguing with Antonio again. He sighed and slumped in the corner of the kitchen with Bella again.

"What's the matter, sweetie?" She looked over to the small boy as she cooked about. "I don't have anything to do. It's so boring," he whined. "Why don't you go play with Ned?" She asked. Lovino only shook his head. "He's fighting with the boss again," he said. Bella sighed and continued to work silently.

The fourteen year old girl looked lost in thought. "Can I help you, Bella? Please." She looked down at the boy and sighed. "Well okay. Why don't you help me clean the table?" Lovino nodded and hurried off to clean it.

...

"Ned, you always do this," Antonio said pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well maybe if you weren't gone all the time. If you didn't make so many enemies, we wouldn't have this problem," Ned said. "I don't know what to tell you. I'm not going to just pay so much money to get a gate or even a guard. You're big enough for that, no?"

Ned sighed. "Lovino saw someone by the garden today. He went on and on about a rabbit with magic." Antonio froze. "A rabbit with magic? He could have been imagining it," Antonio said. "There were a dozen carrots half eaten laying around. He couldn't have done that himself in such a short amount of time," Ned argued.

"Maybe it was an actual rabbit," Antonio said. "When was the last time there was a rabbit around here?!" Ned groaned as Antonio shrugged. "You're hopeless. And what about the teacher? Did you find one?" He asked. Antonio only gave a 'sudden remembered' expression. "You forgot? Are you even fucking trying anymore?"

Antonio looked at the blonde with a cold glare. "I don't see why I should get you guys a teacher. You're servants, that's all you will ever be. If I let you two learn how to read and write, you might take off." Ned's hand clenched into fist and he glared daggers to the Spaniard, holding back with all he could to not punch this guy in the face.

"Fine. Don't get a fucking teacher then. I'll teach them myself," Ned said turning around. "You? You can't even read," Antonio called out. "Just you fucking watch," Ned said, seething with anger. He slammed the door and looked over to see the small boy struggling to carry a pile of dirty dishes. He sighed and quickly went to help him. "Why don't you go play by the living room?" He asked.

"There's nothing to play with," Lovino said. Ned sighed and began to walk away. "Just wait there." After putting the dishes into the sink, he turned to find Bella standing with her hands on her hips. "Ned were you arguing with señior Carriedo again?" He put a hand up before rushing out of kitchen. He retrieved the item from his bed and rushed down to the small boy who sat on a chair.

"Here," he said as he crouched in front of him. "You can play with her but you have to be careful." Lovino stared at the white stuffed rabbit with the red dress. He gently took it into his hands and smiled towards Ned. "Thanks Ned!" He jumped off the chair and rushed into the library where he sat with the stuffed animal. Ned watched him go before going back to help his sister as she again lectured him.

...

Lovino sat the rabbit in front of him and smiled. "Mrs. Rabbit guess what!" He said excitedly. "I met a lucky rabbit today. He ran away though. I wonder if he's going to grant my wish," Lovino said.

"And what was your wish?" Lovino's head turned quickly to see Antonio standing by the door. "I wished that I would get to see Boss more," he said nervously. Antonio smiled and walked over to the small boy. Crouching down, he ruffled his hair slightly.

"You know what would make you look so much cuter?" He said with such a wide grin. "W-what?" Lovino asked hesitantly.

...

Ned and Bella finished dinner and setting up the large dining table before hearing soft footsteps. They both turned and Ned dropped the table cloth he held.

Lovino stood, red faced and fidgeting in a small pink maid's dress with a white apron. The white lacey bonnet matched with the long socks he wore with small brown shoes. His cheeks were stained with tears and he clutched the stuffed rabbit.

"A-Antonio told me I had to wear this from now on," he stuttered out between hiccups. "What?!" Ned angrily turned to the hall that led to Antonio's room and quickly walked into that direction. Bella only sighed and went up to the small boy. "There there. Don't cry, okay?" She gently hugged him as he wiped his tears.

Ned walked into Antonio's room and saw him writing something into a paper. "What now?" He asked, not looking up. "Where is his clothes?" Antonio didn't even bother to look up as he answered. "I tossed them. They were old and so uncute." Ned slammed his fist onto the table. "I gave him that clothes! Why do you insist on dressing him like a girl?"

"Because he looks cuter that way," he answered. Ned gave him a horrified look. "He's a little boy. He's not meant to fill out your sick perverted fantasies." Antonio looked up at him irritatedly. "Sick fantasies? I'm just dressing him as I see fit. I don't need you telling me that I'm doing something wrong." Antonio stood and pushed past him.

"The guest should be here any second. You better not act up. My hand might just skip," he threatened before walking away completely. Ned groaned and punched the wall, feeling it cave under his fist. He pulled away looking at the hole he created before walking out. He hurried to the trash where he spent a long time trying to look for the clothes Antonio threw out. In the end, he only found two shirts and one pair of pants.

...

Antonio sat at the head of the table laughing as the entire table was filled with tough looking men. "Are all merchants this mean looking?" Bella asked as she peaked through the door. "I'm pretty sure he isn't even a merchant," Ned said sitting a side and trying to scrub the clothes clean.

"That's all you found?" She asked surprised. "I don't know where he threw it out. He probably burned the rest," he said angrily. "Why does he have to go and mess with a little kid," he murmured.

"Bella!" The two blondes looked to the door where they heard Antonio calling. Bella rushed out and stood beside him. "Yes, boss?" She peeked over to see the men sneering at her like predators. "Can you bring the wine? The really good one, you know which," he said. "Yes boss," she said before hurrying off.

She brought it out and Antonio happily took it from her hand. "Gracias Bella!" He smiled brightly and she nodded before hearing laughing. "She's cute, how old is she?" One of them asked. She nervously turned and Antonio laughed. "She's only fourteen. She's important to me, I can't let you have her," Antonio said taking Bella's chin lightly.

"She's my special flower," he said before pinching her cheek. "Now, why don't you go back with Ned?" She nodded and hurried back. She sighed and sat down tiredly. "Sorry Bella. You can't go to bed until I get there. I don't trust these guys," Ned told her. She only nodded and slumped against the chair.

...

Lovino stepped into the kitchen to find Bella asleep on the chair while Ned washed dishes. He ran into the room before taking his own blanket and running back to cover the girl. He still has the rabbit and decided to go play some more by the library until Ned hurried him to bed.

He ran past the dining hall and heard laughter. Curiosity got the better of him and he stopped to peak into room. He could see about a dozen men sitting and laughing, still drinking. "Lovi!" He looked to see Antonio smiling at him. "Come here, Lovi. Come sit on boss's lap!"

He hesitantly stepped out and felt embarrassed as everyone turned to look at him. "Come on. Look, boss has a surprise for you," he said cheerfully. Lovino clutched the rabbit in his hands and ran into his boss's arms where he lifted him onto his lap.

"Mira everyone! This is Lovi, my cute little henchman. Isn't he the best?" Lovino huddled closer to the Spaniard as the men fondled over him. "Look, do you want some cake? I have some really good cake," he said lifting his fork. He took a piece and held out the fork to the Italian. He hesitantly ate it, feeling the sweetness fill his mouth.

"May I remind you that Lovino isn't supposed to have sweets before bed?" He looked up to see Ned standing beside Antonio. "Ned, you're no fun. My cute little lackey was just trying some. Right, Lovi?" Antonio took the curl into his hand and began to tug on it as he laughed. Lovino bit back his tears as Antonio tugged his curl a bit more forcefully than usual.

His breath smelled of pure alcohol as he bent down and rubbed their cheeks together. "Boss. It's his bedtime, perhaps you shouldn't smother him or he'll be awake all night," Ned said holding in his anger. "Fine. Goodnight Lovi," Antonio said kissing his cheek. He set him down and Lovino hurried off to the room.

Ned sent a glare to Antonio before walking away to carry Bella to bed.

"Lovino, stay in here tonight," he told the boy. Lovino nodded and curled up beside the teen girl as Ned covered them. He went to his own bed and sat down with a book in hand. He looked at the words confused before pulling out a series of notes.

...

"Captain, they said an English ship crashed here," one of the men said. "English ship? Was it Kirkland's?" Antonio asked. "Si. But they said there were no men in the ship. Not a single one," the man said. Antonio raised an eyebrow. "Then I guess we have to look for ourselves," Antonio said. He lifted the glass of wine and scowled at it. "They either got into town or died before reaching shore. Either way, I don't trust Kirkland."


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur sighed as he reached as high as he could. He had looked through every book he could reach so far. Now he stood on a chair, hopelessly trying to reach another book.

He groaned and tugged his long rabbit ears frustratedly. "This is not happening!" He slumped against the chair and stared at his tiny feet. With nothing better to do and hunger getting the best of him, he decided to visit the small boy.

He stood and rushed off the ship before running into the tall grass again.

...

"Lovino. Ned said you can play outside," Bella told the small boy. "Can I really?" He asked. "Yes, but you have to wait until he gets back."

The small boy nodded and rushed to grab his shoes. He sat waiting by the door as Bella prepared breakfast. "Lovi. What are you doing?" He turned to see Antonio clutching his head and dark bags under his eyes.

"I'm waiting for Ned to come home," he said. Antonio nodded and patted his head before stumbling towards the kitchen. "Bella, it hurts," he whined. "Well you drank quite a bit," Bella said giving him a glass of water. Lovino stood silently and peeked into the kitchen where he could see his boss getting uncomfortably close to Bella. He bent down and kissed her cheek as his arm stayed on her hip. She made a look of discomfort and only continued to work. Lovino frowned and slumped against the wall.

It was a secret he had to keep. He knew Ned would snap and kill someone if he found out. Still, he felt guilty because Bella was forced in a relationship she didn't want to be in. He shook the guilt away and waited until the large blonde came through the door.

"Ned! Let's go outside!" Lovino said standing up. "Okay, one second," he said going into the kitchen. He set down the items before pulling out a pen and paper. He would take the items into his hand and look at the letters on each item, trying to sound out the letters in his head before writing them down and moving to the next item.

"What are you doing?" Antonio asked, sitting down on the table with an amused expression. "What do you care?" Ned answered coldly. "Ned are you writing?" Bella asked impressed. "N-no." He replied snatching the paper. "I'll be out," he murmured walking away. "What about breakfast?" Bella asked. "I'm not hungry," he said.

Lovino followed after the tall blonde wearing a flowy brown dress as he waited for his clothes to dry. "Stay close," Ned said as he sat slumped against a tree. Lovino nodded and ran into the tall grass. He ran about before getting tired and sitting down.

In the midst of falling asleep, he was suddenly awoken by a light tapping on his shoulder. His eyes widened as he saw the rabbit from yesterday. "You're the lucky rabbit," he said excitedly. "Hello. Are you alone?" Arthur asked. Lovino shook his head before pointing to the large blonde not far away. He sat in the tall grass, looking through a book and the paper in hand.

"That's Ned. He takes care of me," Lovino said. Arthur stared at the blonde until Lovino spoke up. "Did you come to grant my wish?" He looked at the boy and smiled as he nodded. "You said you wanted a friend, so I'll be your friend," Arthur said. "Really? You'll be my friend?" Arthur nodded and Lovino gave a rare smile. "You're my first friend. Thank you Mr. Rabbit."

Arthur smiled and took his hand. "You can call me Igirisu," he said. "Iggy-rosu?" Lovino asked. "Or just call me rabbit." Lovino nodded. "Okay! My name is Lovino and I like to play coloring." Arthur smiled, trying his best to not correct his sentence. "Do you want to color with me? I can go get some paper," he said. Before Arthur could answer, his stomach gave a loud growl.

"Are you hungry?" Lovino asked. Arthur nodded shamefully and Lovino looked over to the blonde. Ned was so lost in the book that he didn't notice Lovino talking to the rabbit boy. "Okay, wait here," Lovino said before running off into the house. He found Antonio and Bella nowhere in sight so he grabbed a small stack of papers and some colors before going into the kitchen.

He put the supplies down on the table before reaching for the made sandwich on the table. Just as he was about to take it a sudden voice made him freeze. "What are doing, Lovino?" He jumped up and turned to Bella guiltily. "Nothing," he said. "Didn't you just have breakfast?" She asked, hands on her hip. "Yes. I was still hungry though," he said with a pout.

Bella watched him fidget and sighed before picking up the sandwich. "Here. I'll just make Señior Carriedo a new one," she said handing it to him. Lovino smiled and took the sandwich. "Thank you! You're so beautiful, Bella," he said cheerfully before taking his supplies and running out the door.

He went to find the rabbit sitting on the floor, playing with a small flower. "Here you go! Bella makes the best sandwiches," he said giving him the sandwich. Arthur took it and thanked him before taking hungry bites out of it. He felt bliss until he noticed Lovino staring at him like he was looking at a caged animal.

"You were really hungry, huh?" He placed the paper down and sat cross legged. Arthur ripped half the sandwich and handed it to Lovino. "Yes. I haven't eaten much lately," he admitted. Lovino chewed the sandwich before picking up the colors. "Where do you live? Can you draw it?" He handed Arthur some paper and he looked at it thoughtfully. He wasn't the best artist and if he drew England, someone would suspect.

He chose to draw a tree with a small hole underneath, just like a rabbit hole. He turned to see Lovino still coloring. "What are you drawing?" He asked. "You! It's not that good though," he said showing the drawing. He was sitting in the tall grass and his ears were dragging on the floor as he colored. He glared at him, this six year old being a better artist than he was. He, the British pirate.

"It looks good," he said. Lovino smiled and put it down. "Feli draws better than I do though," he said as he continued. "Who's Feli?" Arthur asked curiously. "My little brother. We don't live together though, he lives in Austria," Lovino explained. "Everyone likes him so much better. I think if Ned and Bella met him, they would like him better than tried to trades us so many times already too. Nobody ever likes me." He froze and Arthur watched as a tear fell onto the paper. Lovino rubbed his eyes with his chubby arms and sniffled.

"I like you, Lovino." Arthur watched him turn in shock before hugging him. "I like you too, rabbit." Arthur gently hugged back. He felt pity for this small boy. "Lovino. Do you like being here?" He gave a questionable look. "Yes. Bella and Ned are really nice. I like Antonio too, even if he is scary sometimes." Arthur frowned. "Has he ever hurt you?" Lovino shook his head and looked at the ground. "But he and Ned always fight. Sometimes Ned has bruises too and some nights I can hear Bella crying in her room."

For a moment, just a brief moment, Arthur considered taking him away. He turned to the large blonde still trying to decode something in a book. "What is he doing?" Lovino turned and looked at the blonde. "He's trying to learn to read. He wants me and Bella to learn but Antonio won't buy us a teacher," he said.

Arthur looked at him surprised. "You guys don't know how to read?" Lovino shook his head and Arthur sighed. "I- I can teach you," he said. Lovino's face brightened and he nodded excitedly. "Yes! I want to learn so I can help Ned." Arthur gave a small smile. "Very well then. Tomorrow I can bring a book!"

"Lovino. Let's go," Ned called out as he stood. Arthur bent down to hide as Lovino stood. "Okay! I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow," Lovino said before running off. Arthur sighed and waited until they were inside to leave.


	5. Chapter 5

Antonio's heavy boots made a loud stomp as he walked about the ship. "Without a doubt Kirkland," he said picking up the familiar pirate hat. "Captain, where do you suppose the pirates are?" One of the men asked.

Antonio tossed the hat on the floor as he looked around some more. "They weren't around town. We would have heard of them by now." He stopped in front of a room with the door left open.

He scowled at the scattered books and the drawn magic circle on the floor. "That freak," he murmured as he inspected it. He went over to one of the books on the floor and picked it up. As the pages flipped, a small picture fell out. Scoffing at the picture of the familiar 'girl' in the picture, he placed it down before looking through the books on the shelf.

A big dark red one with golden markings on the spine caught his attention and he pulled it out. Golden dragons decorated the front cover, lightly shining as he ran his fingers over them. "Captain, I don't what to think," one of the men said flipping through a book.

"I don't either. This Kirkland is a powerful one though. He could have killed his entire crew and disappeared without a trace if he wanted," Antonio replied. He felt the spine of the book crack as he pried it open. Immediately his eyes landed on a drawn magic circle before a bright blue light shot out and blinded him for a second.

Everyone surrounded him as he dropped the book and rubbed his eyes in panic. He opened his eyes to see nothing but black before his vision began to bleed back into place. He blinked a few times and looked around finding nothing strange. "That was weird," he said shaking it off.

He sighed as he gave a final look at the room and walked out. "We'll keep an eye open. For now we just assume they disappeared." And with that they left the boat.

...

Arthur walked back to the ship, taking large steps for his small legs. He sighed as he realized that his tiny body was getting him nowhere. Bending his legs and tightening his fist, he took a deep breath and hopped foward. He gasped as he looked at the large distance he had hopped. He gave a small victory smile before continuing to hope back.

As the boat came into view he began to slow down. Faint movement caught his attention and he hurried to the side of the boat and crawling through a small loose board and hiding in between the boards. He scowled upon seeing the familiar Spaniard walking about.

"Let's go," he said before walking away, his crew following. "What's that wanker doing here?" Arthur thought. He waited until he could no longer hear the deep footsteps before crawling out of the hole. His tiny feet padded through the room before they stopped by the big red book on the floor.

"That git. Atleast don't make a mess," he said as he picked up the book. He flipped through it, finding nothing useful. "I better send another letter. It appears Lukas hasn't received my first one," he told himself as he took a paper. He looked down at page and wondered who to write too next.

The only other person he knew skilled in magic was Vladimir, however he himself wasn't exactly trustworthy. Not that the Romanian was bad at magic, just that he was known for his joking on the subject. Had he relied on him, he'd be a rabbit first, then a turtle.

He sighed with noone better to write to but the one he hated most. A certain French pervert...That could atleast pick him up without much suspicion from Antonio. It was settled. And as he waited, he would visit Lovino for food and teach him to read. Perhaps even pull a few pranks on dear Captain Antonio. Yes, it was perfect.

...

Lovino layed on the floor, coloring another picture as Ned had his own sheets of paper sprawled about. He went through various items, staring at them intently before writing something down. "How's it going?" Lovino asked quietly. Ned looked up and nodded in response.

"Can you teach me a little bit?" Lovino asked sitting up. Ned sighed and picked up a paper. "Well, I learned most of the letters now," he said. He showed them to Lovino and pointed to one. "Ahhh," he said. Lovino raised an eyebrow. "Ahhh?" He asked. Ned nodded and pointed to another letter. "Er. Er." He sounded out as he pointed to another letter.

Lovino responded with imitation while Ned continued to show him various letters. "Can you sound it out now?" He asked. Lovino crinkled his nose and stared at the words. "Hahh-rrii-nn-aahh." Ned let out a small 'hmpf' as Lovino looked up at him with clear confusion. "What does it say?" He asked.

Ned put the paper down and pointed to each letter as he repeated the sounds. "Aah-r-ii-nn-aah. Harina," he said repeating it. "Flour?" Lovino questioned. Ned nodded and pointed to another word. "Try this one," he said. Again Lovino scrunched up his nose and stared at the word.

"Puh. Ahhh-puh ah-st. St.-ah."

He continued to sound out the letters as Ned taught him, until the familiar heavy footsteps came beside him. "Wow, Lovi! Look at you!" Antonio blurted out as the small boy looked up at him. "You're reading? Let me see," he said crouching beside the Italian.

Ned sent a cold glare as the Spaniard smirked at him before looking down at the paper. Lovino continued trying to sound it out before getting a good grasp at the word. "Puh-ah-stu-ah. Puhasta? Puha-pu. Pasta!" He yelled out in victory as he figured it out.

"It says pasta!" He said smiling up at the older males. "You're so smart, Lovi!" Antonio praised. Lovino smiled proudly and a small blush coming as Antonio ruffled his hair. Antonio stood and continued to glare at the blonde before smiling again. "Well it's about bedtime, no? How about getting all ready, you can sleep with boss tonight," Antonio said.

Lovino nodded slightly before Antonio walked away. He turned to the scowling blonde. "Uhm, Ned?" Ned turned to the small boy with a much softer expression. "Can you teach me again tomorrow?" He fumbled with his shirt and gave a hopeful look. "Yeah. You're a fast learner," he said patting his head softly. "I'll teach you more tomorrow, so get ready for bed," he said.

Lovino nodded excitedly before running off the change into his night gown. He changed quickly and ran into the blonde teen girl who was passing with a basket of blankets. "Oh, excuse me," she said raising the basket. "Hey, Bella guess what. Ned is so smart, he's going to teach me how to read," Lovino said proudly. "He is?! That's great, Lovino. Maybe when you're done learning, you can teach me," she said with a gentle smile. "Uh-huh. I'll teach you, Bella! You're going to be the smartest and prettiest girl ever," he told her before running past her.

She smiled gently and continued to walk down the hall, wondering if they would ever leave. Lovino carelessly ran through the hall before watching his boss's office door open. He watched the large blonde step out and close the door in nearly a slam.

His feet slowed into a walk before he stopped completely and stared at the large Dutch teen. He had an angered expression and his hair was disheveled with a forming purple mark on the side of his jaw and his lip bleeding.

He stood in front of the door, his frown turning into a snarl as he wiped some of the dripping blood from his busted lip. His eyes moved down to the Italian standing not far. They widened before falling to the floor as he turned away. He gritted his teeth before quickly walking away in silence.

Lovino only stared sadly before the door opened again, this time revealing the large Spaniard. "Oh! Ready for bed?" He asked as he spotted the child. He nodded nervously and was hoisted into his arm. "Great. I have an amazing bedtime story to tell you," Antonio said walking towards his room, a small Lovino in his arms.

He didn't know if he loved Antonio, or hated him. He hated how he treated Bella and Ned, but those few times where they slept and ate together or Antonio told stories were nearly enough to make up for it. Was it greedy of him to still love the Spaniard for those few good things, even though his only family suffered from the same hands? He didn't know. He just wanted it all to stop.

...

 **A/N: sorry for not posting as early as usual. I still have an awful tooth ache and my health insurance won't cover the removal of my wisdom tooth. For now I suffer then T^T /Murica/**


	6. Chapter 6

Lovino woke up feeling exhausted. He turned to the sleeping figure next to him. In hopes for warmth, he cuddled up closer to the larger male. His bare torso gave a warm heat but he still felt cold and his head began to ache. He curled up into the body beside him hoping for the pain to go away.

"Are you okay, Lovi?" Antonio groggily asked. When Lovino shook his head, he immediately sat up and put a hand over his head. "You're burning up. Just stay here, okay? I'll get you some water," Antonio said. He moved to get up only to have a small hand grip his. "I'm cold. Stay here," he murmured tiredly. Antonio gave a small huff and crawled into bed, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy as he drifted back into an uncomfortable sleep.

...

Ned sat slumped in the kitchen, staring at his breakfast. His bruised face made him feel pathetic and everytime Bella looked at him with pity, he felt even angrier. He pushed the food away and stood. "Ned?"

"I'm going for a walk," he murmured before leaving. Bella only sighed and finished her own meal. As she stood to lift the plates, Antonio walked in. "Bella can you make soup today? And get lots of warm blankets," Antonio ordered as he walked about retrieving different items. "What kind of soup?" She asked. "Whatever Lovino likes. He's sick so he'll be staying in bed tonight," he said filling a glass with water.

"Oh. The poor thing. I'll get him some blankets right away," she said before running off. As she passed the open back door she looked outside to the gloomy day. It was sure to rain soon so she closed the windows and went to the room where Lovino layed sleeping.

She put blankets over him and walked out to find Antonio waiting by the library. "Can you watch him today? I have business in town," he said looking through a book. "I won't be back until much later so make sure he eats something," Antonio said placing the book back.

Bella replied with a nervous 'yes sir' as he walked towards her. "Make sure your brother doesn't cause too much trouble, okay?" He gave her a light peck to the lips before leaving completely. Bella only sighed and went to cook Lovino's soup.

...

Ned walked along the path looking down at his shoes. He had been walking for maybe two hours now and he was growing tired. Fed up, was more like it. One more step before he felt the light tapping on his head. He looked up and it began to drip harder.

Ned only stood in the rain, feeling the coolness hit him until he was completely wet before he turned and went home. The familiar scent of Italian soup hit him as he walked into the kitchen. Bella turned with a gasp and ran over to her brother. "What happened?! Go take a bath right now," she said. "I'm fine," he said shooing her away.

"No, take a bath right now. Lovino's bath can wait," she said pushing her older brother towards the bathroom. "Lovino? He took a bath just yesterday," Ned said raising an eyebrow. "He's sick. I thought a bath would help him feel better," she said crossing her arms. "He's sick?" Ned asked. He hurried to the room where he found Lovino crouched over the side of the bed vomiting into a bucket.

"Ned? My throat hurts," Lovino said teary eyed as he sat up and wiped his mouth. Ned sighed and went up to him. "Come on. Let's get you to a bath," he said looking at the vomit stained clothes. He helped him up and into the bathroom where he took off his dirty clothes and scrubbed him clean before placing him in the bath. He poured in the warm water and climbed in himself, relaxing in the water.

There was silence for a while until Lovino spoke up. "Ned?" He responded with a low hum. "Do you think wishes come true?" Ned looked down and frowned. "I don't know. I've been wishing for years and not a single one came true," he said. Lovino slumped further into the warm water with disappointment.

"Do you want to leave?" He asked. "Yeah." Lovino frowned. "I don't want you to go, Ned. You and Bella and Antonio are my only family left. If you leave then Bella goes too. I don't want to be alone when Antonio is gone," Lovino said tearing up.

Ned only looked at him shocked. He hadn't thought about it. What would have happened to Lovino if he had left with Bella. Antonio left for months. That meant Lovino would be alone most of the time.

He frowned at himself and patted the boy's head. "I won't leave you," he promised. Lovino nodded and sank into the water, feeling cold again.

...

Arthur looked outside surprised to see it raining. "Well, this feels more like home," he said to himself as he snuggled back into bed. "Lovino surely won't be out in this weather. I'll just visit when it clears up," he said as he snuggled into the makeshift bed filled with blankets and a pillow.

...

Lovino layed beside the large blonde who had given him the stuffed rabbit again. "And then the rabbit ran away from the fox," Ned said, telling Lovino a made up story before Bella came in.

"I brought you two soup," she settling the plates down.

She sat beside the bed and placed a hand over Lovi who was still as hot as before. Ned frowned as he shivered under the blanket. "Do you want to eat?" Ned asked him. When Lovino shook his head he sighed and moved closer. He put the other blankets over him and layed down tiredly.

"Can you sing me a lullaby?" He asked as he snuggled closer to the blonde. Bella nodded and sat beside the two. She cleared her throat and softly sang an old Dutch lullaby as both Lovino and Ned fell asleep.

...

Lovino cracked a very heavy lid and looked at the open window. The first thing he noticed was that the sun was setting already. He sat up quickly when he remembered he was supposed to meet with the rabbit.

He looked at the sleeping blonde and gently crawled out of bed. He felt cold still and his head hurt but he quickly changed and snuck out of the room.

Looking around he noticed Bella nowhere around. He quickly snuck to the door and opened in, revealing harsh winds and rain. He gulped and pulled his hood on before stepping outside weakly and closing the door. He ran into the garden, his bare feet getting muddy as he looked around.

"Mr. Rabbit?" He asked as he looked through the grass. "Where are you. Mr. Rabbit?" With the rabbit nowhere in sight he went into the grass where the rabbit came from. He looked around for the familiar drawn tree as he strayed away from the large house.

"Mr. Rabbit!" He called out as he took small steps. He shivered and coughed harshly before finding a similar tree. He ran towards it and looked around finding no hole at all. He frowned and sat down, curling up in pain and exhaustion. He was dripping wet and covered in mud with a splitting pain in his head.

"Where are you, Mr. Rabbit?" He murmured as he felt suddenly heavy. He curled up more, feeling no hint of warmth anywhere before falling to the floor.

...

Ned woke up and looked to see the be empty beside him. He patted the not so warm area and stood, looking around. "Lovino?" He went room by room before finding Bella sitting in the library asleep. He shook her awake harshly in a panic. "Where's Lovino?" He asked.

Bella raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "He's not asleep?" She asked. When Ned quickly ran out of the library, she stood in a panic and began to look around the house. "Lovino! Lovino where are you?" They both shouted as they searched again, finding no one in sight.

"Do you think Carriedo picked him up?" Ned asked. "No. He's not coming back until much later," she said trembling. They both looked outside where it was pouring rain.

Ned quickly ran out, not bothering to put on a jacket. "Stay inside!" He yelled as he ran through the property. "Lovino!" He checked every small place where the boy could have easily hid in and found no one. Bella watched worriedly before grabbing her jacket. "I'll help you look," she said with a small lantern. "Let's look further into the grass," she said and the two ran opposite ways.

...

Arthur woke groggily to heavy stomping. He realized people had come into the ship and he hurried into the small hidden hole and looked at Antonio. "It's raining too hard to burn it tonight," he said as he looked around.

"Look for any useful clues and we'll burn this damn ship when the weather clears," he said. Arthur stared in horror as men began to throw books off the shelf and tear boards. He began to panic as they went about destroying everything.

In his current state, he was powerless. He snuck over to the make shift bed and moved one of the loose boards and picked up the large book with the golden dragons on it. He hugged the book and ran out of the boat as some of the boards were chopped by a heavy axe.

He left the boat and went into the rain, running into the grass where he hoped he could find somewhere dry. It was then he heard yelling. He looked around and spotted a large blonde, dripping wet running around in a panic. He ran deeper down the grass in the opposite direction, hugging the book to stay dry.

As he ran, a small figure caught his attention. He nervously walked up to it before seeing the familiar curl sticking out of the hood. He turned the body that was faced down and gasped when he saw Lovino. He put his small hand over his head, feeling the intense heat coming from his face as he panted heavily. Arthur panicked and put the book into the tree before struggling to lift the boy.

...

Ned looked around, horrified. Lovino was so small. He didn't know where to look anymore, so he went around screaming his name, hoping he would answer. He stumbled out of the tall grass and looked at a large boat. With nowhere else to look, he ran towards it and stopped when he saw the familiar red coat.

The men turned to look at him and he flinched as Antonio looked at him confused. "Ned?! What are you doing here?" Antonio asked. He went up to the blonde who flinched. "Look at you, are you trying to get sick too?" Antonio asked looking at the dripping wet teen.

"Lovino's missing," he said shakily. "What?" Antonio snapped. He looked into the tall grass and back at Ned. "You lost him?!" Ned flinched at his yelling and looked at the grass. "I don't know, we thought he was sleeping," Ned said. Antonio growled and ran into the grass, his much louder voice booming out Lovino's name as he ran looking for him.

...

Arthur struggled as he carried Lovino towards the end of the grass where his small body gave up. He looked around not knowing what to do now. He found the young girl running back, looking around and screaming out.

After digging through his memory, he recalled her name was Bella. He crouched down and yelled her name out, successful catching her attention. He quickly ran further into the grass and watched her look around. "Lovino, where are you?" She asked. "By the garden," Arthur called out.

Bella raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar voice but ran anyways, finding the small boy laying in the grass. She gasped and ran over to him, lifting him up and cleaning the mud off his face.

"Ned! Ned, I found him!" She yelled before carrying him inside. Arthur watched as the large blonde and Antonio ran past him quickly and into the house. He ran towards the small window and peeked in to see Lovino being picked up by Antonio.

"You damn idiots!" He spat. "How could you let him out when he was already this sick?" Bella shrank visably and Ned only flinched slightly. "Like I said, we didn't know," he said earning a sudden hit to the face. Bella began to tear up and clutched her brother who was glaring now.

"You're watching a kid, not some damn animal. You're supposed to keep an eye on him," Antonio yelled, making Lovino wake up. "Mr. Rabbit?" He murmured.

"Lovino. Thank god you're okay," Antonio said hugging him tightly. "Why on earth were you outside?" He asked. Lovino gave a guilty look as the three elders looked at him with worry. "I'm sorry. I snuck out to find the rabbit," he said.

Arthur frowned and slumped against the wall. It was his fault then. He could make out more muffled voices and decided to go home, hoping his ship was deserted now.

"Lovino. You can't go out like that. Don't ever do that again," Antonio scolded. Lovino nodded before being hugged tightly. "I got so scared. Come on let's take you a bath," he said taking a step forward. He stopped and turned to the siblings.

"Heat up water for his bath and get his clothes ready. I want to see you both in my office after," he said before walking away towards the bathroom. Lovino only gave them a saddened expression as their eyes casted down in fear.

...

 **A/N: Am I evil for this? I'm making Antonio a horrible person omg. I love dark Spain though. Anyways thanks for reading this story. You guys who reviewed are awesome too.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Because you guys are awesome and catch up to the new chapters quickly, (Yes I saw that for those of you who read it already) I'm updating another chapter already. Again thanks for reading and those who review are awesome!**

...

Arthur sat slumped in his ship. When he arrived, everyone had already left. His entire ship was trashed. The shelves were thrown down, books were torn, mud tracks were everywhere, and the entire ship had random areas absolutely shattered. He picked up one of his favorite books and flipped through the torn pages, dropping it with a sigh.

He found his favorite spell book and ran to it. When he opened it, he found the magic circle torn in half. He teared up, feeling absolutely hopeless in his tiny body. He hugged the book and curled up on the floor, sniffling.

It was then that a small paper bird flew in. It landed on Arthur's knee and he looked at it confused.

It gave a small chirp before it unfolded itself and revealed a paper with a magic circle. Arthur grabbed it and the circle began to glow before a familiar blonde appeared on the sheet.

"It's about bloody time!" He said looking at Lukas. "I just received your message," he said. "Lukas, you have to help me. I'm stuck in this body, I don't know what to do," he said tearing up again.

"I'm starving here. I just want to go home," he said. Lukas put a hand up and looked through some pages in a book. "Do you know what spell you used?" He asked. Arthur shook his head and Lukas sighed. "Well the spell should have broken on its own, unless it's one of those action kind of curses," he said.

"Action?" Arthur asked. "You know, true love's kiss or being kind or some other stupid thing," he said. "You look cute by the way." Arthur pondered. "I didn't think it would work that way. But there is no true love here! I've been nice too, why hasn't it broken?!"

Lukas shrugged and looked at Arthur. "This is not my skill in magic. If you want to look more into curses you will have to ask Vladimir," Lukas explained. Arthur shook his head. "No. He isn't exactly reliable. Besides that guy is kind of weird," Arthur said. "Then you either have to wait it out or hope you figure out how to break it," Lukas said.

Arthur groaned and tugged his ears frustratedly. "So I'm stuck here? Can't you atleast pick me up?" Lukas coughed awkwardly. "I actually have a lot going on. Can't you find someone else?" He asked. "I don't have friends," he whined. "Sorry, Arthur. I can't help out this time," he said as his image began to glitch. "Oh, I'm running out of space," he said. "I have to go. If I find something, I'll send a message. Good luck," Lukas said before his image faded away leaving a faint magic circle and his words on the page.

Arthur sighed and shoved the page into his pocket. With nothing left to do, Arthur stood and grabbed the red book, walking outside in the rain.

...

Lovino sat in the bathtub feeling awful. Not only did he feel extremely sick, he felt guilty. Bella and Ned were sure to get in trouble and it was his fault. He could hear muffled yelling many doors away and he only curled up, trying to drown out the noise.

...

"Do you have any idea how much I paid for him?" Antonio asked. "So his price is the only thing that matters?" Ned asked, gaining yet another hit. Bella flinched, tears streaming down her face. "Ned, stop talking back," she whispered as he wiped the blood off his bleeding lip.

"You two idiots really need to learn to take care of a child," Antonio snapped. "This kid is very special to me," he said. "Really, can you get any more disgusting?" Ned asked. "What does that mean?" Antonio asked in a dark glare.

"We all know why you really got him. You're a sick fucking pervert," Ned said. Another hard hit to his stomach and he curled over in pain. "Please, stop," Bella cried going towards her brother. "And where were you, miss Bella?" He asked looking at the blonde. "Were you asleep as well? How pitiful for servants to sleep when they're supposed to work," Antonio said crossing his arms.

"I've been too soft on you two. You deserve a real punishment," he said, frown turning into a more sadistic smile. "Don't you dare touch her," Ned said pushing Bella behind him. "I don't hit women, Ned. I'm not some monster," he said with a fake pout.

"However I had to leave work early because of your mistake and Lovino is sure to get a worse fever. Bella, you are not to leave your room for the rest of the week. No breakfast, lunch, or dinner either," Antonio said. Ned's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to protest before Antonio spoke up again.

"As for you, Ned. You will work all of Bella's chores and sleep in a separate room. If I catch you trying to go in, I won't hesitate to have some fun," he said stabbing a knife onto the wooden desk. "Am I clear?" Ned glared at him and Bella nodded tearfully. "Now, Bella. Go to your room," Antonio said still staring at Ned. The teen girl turned to Ned sorrowfully before she walked out and ran to her room in tears.

"You two made boss really angry. Now, I think I should get some relief before I get Lovi out of the bath. Don't you think?" Antonio asked, his cheerful smile plastered on his face. Ned knew what was coming next. He gritted his teeth and prepared for it.

He wanted to snap but he couldn't. Not while Antonio had a giant axe leaning against the wall. "Oh, and make sure Lovi doesn't hear you or it'll get worse," he said taking his jacket off.

...

As Arthur approached the house he tip toed up to the window and looked to find an empty kitchen. He frowned and looked through various other windows, finding no one in sight.

He reached a higher window and looked in to see Antonio sitting on the end of the bed. As he looked more intently, he could make out Lovino sitting in front of him, shirtless as Antonio rubbed his back.

He pressed his ear against the window hoping to hear what was being said but he understood none of the Spanish words. He sighed and sat beneath the window, waiting for the Spaniard to leave. He flipped through the final book he had left as he waited before a door nearby opened.

He shrank beneath the grass and stared at the large blonde who stepped out. Ned took deep breaths before gritting his teeth and kicking a bucket, sending it far. He groaned and gripped his hair as he slumped to the floor frustratedly. His shoulders shook heavily as tears of frustration fell.

It took a while before Arthur actually saw his face. It definitely wasn't that bruised and swollen just two days ago. Not even two hours ago. He looked closer and noticed blood still staining his mouth and shirt. He grimaced, wondering how the young teen hadn't snapped yet. Now he knew for sure. Antonio was terrible and Lovino might actually be in serious danger.

He jumped when the window above him opened. "I know you're cold but you need some fresh air," Antonio said. Arthur looked up scowling at the Spaniard. He was smirking at the blonde who looked at him harshly before he stood and left.

"Boss has to go check on work. I'll be home before you wake up," Antonio said turning around. "Why can't I sleep with Ned and Bella?" Lovino asked. "They might get sick if they sleep with you. Boss will be back soon though so don't worry," he said before kissing his forehead and leaving.

The door closed and Lovino sighed, burying himself deeper into the blanket. His head was pounding and he looked around scared of the dark room. It was late and he heard the soft tapping that signaled more rain so he looked out to see droplets of water falling onto the window sill.

As he continued to stare though, a small hand showed itself and he began to tremble. He watched in horror as another hand came up and a dark figure pulled itself up. After much struggle, the figure fell to the floor and Lovino felt goosebumps as he was frozen in fear.

The figure stood up and the hood fell, revealing messy blonde hair and long rabbit ears though. "M-mr. Rabbit!" Lovino said getting up from bed. "I'm sorry, Lovino. I didn't think you would go out looking for me," Arthur said softly. He approached the bed and was immediately hugged by the small boy who began to cry.

"It's all my fault," he sobbed. "Ned and Bella got into big trouble because of me. Now I can't see them," he cried. Arthur gently hugged back and rubbed his back. "It's not your fault. Stop crying," Arthur said, not knowing how to soothe him.

When Lovino pulled away red faced, Arthur smiled softly at him. "I brought you a surprise," he said. He bent down and picked up the large book, putting it on the bed before pulling himself up. "I'm going to read you a story. So stay in bed," he said.

He smiled softly as Lovino wiped his tears and crawled beneath the blanket. "What story?" He asked between sniffles.

"It's about a man who was cursed into a dragon," he said as he moved closer to the boy. He sat criss crossed beside him and stood the book up for Lovino to see the pictures. He opened it and Lovino gasped, admiring the pictures.

"In a small village, near the snowy mountains," he started, as Lovino listened carefully. He smiled and decided to make it more interesting. "There lived a greedy man, with riches beyond imagination," he read, using magic to make the pictures pop in a form of light and move according to the story. Lovino's eyes widened in delight and he curled closer to Arthur.

...

Ned groaned in pain as he wrapped his broken arm. He gritted his teeth and cleaned his open wounds carefully before his eyes landed on the small rabbit on his bed. He lifted it and felt absolutely hopeless.

His mind wandered to his sister. He hoped she had atleast fallen asleep okay. He went to Bella's room and could make out the soft sniffles from the other end. "Bella?" He asked. "Ned?! You shouldn't be here, he'll get you in trouble," she said from her end.

"He's not home. I just want to make sure you're okay," he said softly. He heard footsteps towards the door. "Don't open the door, Bella. I don't want you to see," he said and Bella froze. She sat on the floor and spoke softly to her brother.

"By the way, where did you find Lovino?" He asked curiously. "By the garden," she said. Ned frowned. "What? No, I checked the garden three times, he wasn't anywhere near there," Ned said. "Ned, can I tell you something?" She asked. Ned hummed in question and Bella sighed.

"Someone called me. At first I thought it was Lovino but then the second time I heard the voice, it was a different person and Lovino was unconscious," she said.

"Are you serious?" Ned asked shocked. "I didn't see anyone around. Ned, I've been thinking. What if Lovino really did meet something maybe.. not human," she said. "He has been talking a lot about a rabbit and wishes," Ned said, pondering. "But what is it? A magical rabbit doesn't sound right. Do you think it could be a guardian angel?" Bella asked.

Ned looked down at his cold bare feet. "It could be," Ned said. The two sat in silence. "Can you check up on him?" Bella asked. "I'm really worried about him," she said. "Okay. Goodnight," he told her before he stood.

He made his way over to the small boy's room and knocked softly.

Inside Arthur had managed to get Lovino asleep. He was gently moving the hair from his face when he heard a soft tapping. He quickly ran underneath the desk and hid in time to watch the large blonde walk in.

He almost ran out as Ned stood at the side of the bed, looking at Lovino. With the way he was bruised, he was almost sure the blonde would blame Lovino and try to hurt him. Instead however, Ned reached a hand out and softly placed it over his forehead.

He sighed and pulled the blanket higher, feeling his entire body heated up. He placed the stuffed rabbit beside Lovino and took the cloth beside the table. He tossed water on it and went to wring it out by the window, hissing as he put strain on his broken wrist.

Ned set it on Lovino's forehead and gently caressed his hair as he sat down. "I'm so sorry, Lovino," he muttered. "I promise I won't let you out of my sight again. Antonio won't ever hurt you," he said. Lovino shifted in his sleep and Ned sniffled. "Don't cry," he muttered as his shoulders shook.

"There's no reason to cry," he said softly as his shoulders heaved. Arthur crawled out from under the table, trying to get a better look at the blonde. "I'll get you out of here, okay? One day, I'll get you out," he said. He put his hand down and felt something hard under the cover. He pulled out a large red book that he knew for certain, they didn't own.

He opened it revealing not Spanish words. Arthur watched horrified, regretting leaving the book there. "Hey," he said still looking down at the book. "Magic rabbit. If you're listening and really are some kind of guardian angel then.. thank you. Please keep watching over him. He needs someone like you," Ned said before standing up.

He left and Arthur felt his bottom lip quiver. He wanted to save these kids, but he couldn't. He couldn't even get himself back to normal. Besides, what's a pirate to do with three kids? He crawled onto the bed and curled up beside the small boy, holding his small hand in comfort as the soft tap, tap, tap, sounded on the window sill. "I'll protect you as long as I'm here," he whispered to the sleeping boy, feeling a strange warmth in his head as the words came out.

...

 **A/N: No. I'm not crying at my own story, what? Agh why do I have to hurt these precious babies?! I'm terrible but I still do it!**


	8. Chapter 8

"That ought to do it," Arthur said pulling his hand away from the boy. He felt his forehead, immediately feeling the fever go down. He sat on the edge of the bed and thought to himself, waiting for the boy to wake up.

He eventually found himself hungry though. His head turned to the glass of water on the desk and he hurried to it, drinking the water thirstily. He realized his mistake was in trying to get another glass.

He walked the hall of the large home and soon found himself hopelessly lost. "Bloody hell. Why does anyone need a house this big?" Arthur cursed as he walked.

"I need to go to too," he said feeling his small blatter filled. He began to run around, hoping to atleast find a bathroom, only to run into a completely different room.

He stared in horror as the large blonde shifted in his sleep. Stealthily trying to step out, he tripped over a table leg, bringing down a table cloth and a glass full of water with him.

The blonde sat up quickly and Arthur scurried into the hall and into another room.

He watched the blonde pass and look around the house before going back to bed. Just as Arthur stepped out, what he assumed was the front door opened. He heard heavy footsteps and watched boots stomp down as Antonio walked past.

He opened a door and looked inside the room before closing it and doing the same to a different room. Arthur took his chance and scurried behind the large man in hopes to get back to Lovino's room.

The man stepped into the room and Arthur slipped in before he closed the door and began to undress. Arthur hid beneath the desk and watched the Spaniard crawl into the bed and fidgeted before falling asleep.

He wanted to leave, but he found himself rather comfortable and eventually fell asleep.

...

Lovino woke up feeling better than yesterday. He looked at his sleeping boss beside him and figured the rabbit left. That is until he spotted green underneath his desk. He climbed out of bed and crawled beneath the desk, smiling as he poked the rabbit.

"Mr. Rabbit. Come on before boss wakes up," Lovino said as Arthur stirred awake. He rubbed his eyes tiredly as Lovino pulled on clothes and opened the door. "Come on," Lovino repeated as he led the blonde out.

"Are you hungry?" He asked. Arthur only tiredly nodded, not sure what exactly was going on. His hazy mind reeled back to normal the moment he looked at the blonde in the kitchen cooking. He ran behind the shelf before he turned to the small boy.

"Ned?" Lovino looked sadly at his face. "How are you feeling?" Ned asked. "I'm better. Where's Bella?" He asked. "She's sick. She's going to stay in bed for a while," Ned said as he continued to stir food in a pan. "Hungry?" Lovino nodded and looked at the blonde with a frown. "I'm really sorry, Ned. You get in trouble because of me," Lovino said. "No. It's not your fault. Carriedo and I just got into an argument," he said. Ned ruffled his hair and Lovino turned to Arthur by the shelf.

"Can I get two plates with food?" Lovino asked. "Two?" Ned asked raising an eyebrow. "Uhm. I'm going to take some to Antonio for breakfast," Lovino said. Ned sighed and began to serve breakfast. "Alright then. Be careful," he said giving Lovino a tray with both plates.

Lovino walked off clumsily and Arthur followed. The two sat in an empty room as Arthur ate. "It's good, right?" He asked. "Yes. I was really hungry," he said eating. He noticed Lovino not eating at all. "Aren't you going to eat?" He asked. Lovino shook his head. "I'll be back," he said lifting the plate. He went down the hall and knocked on the door.

"Bella. Open, it's me," Lovino said. The blonde opened the door discretely and looked at the boy surprised as he held up food. "Feel better okay?" She hugged him before taking the plate. "I'm going to go now. Bye," he said before running off.

"You're three are so nice to each other," Arthur said surprised. "Well they are my family," Lovino said confused. "My brothers weren't nice to me when I was growing up," Arthur said frowning. "You have brothers?" Lovino asked. "Yes. Three older brothers. They're real jerks," Arthur said scowling at his small feet.

"Oh." There was an uncomfortable silence before Lovino stood. "Do you want to color? Or maybe you can help me read," Lovino said. "I'd love too," Arthur said before running into the library with him.

...

Lovino sat on the floor staring at the words with an intense glare. "This is all in English," Lovino said.

"Yes, well I thought it would be more useful to learn. Is there something else you prefer?" Arthur asked. Lovino stood and took a large book from the shelf and put it down. "What's this?" Arthur asked looking at the cover. "Antonio always reads me this story. I want to learn it too," Lovino said. "I can try. Spanish isn't my first language," Arthur said frowning at the book.

(20 minutes later)

"Ha-bi-ah. Una ves," Lovino said with much struggle. Arthur's eye twitched in irritation as he stared at the words. In the past 20 minutes, he, a non Spanish speaker, managed to decode the strange words from the entire page and Lovino was still trying to figure out the first line.

"Había una vez," Arthur corrected for what seemed like the 100th time. Really, wasn't Lovino the Spanish speaker? "Don't you know this stuff?' Arthur asked. "It's too hard to learn. I mix it up with Italian all the time," Lovino said with a frown. "Then how do you understand the story?"

Lovino shrugged and looked down at it. "I think it's the pictures and some of the words sound familiar." Arthur sighed and closed the book. "How about we start with a language you know," Arthur said putting down his own book. "Okay."

"In a small village," Lovino stuttered out and looked up at the rabbit. "Yes. See, it's m uch easier," Arthur said pointing to the next word. Lovino smiled and continued to struggle through the words with Arthur's help.

Heavy footsteps made him look up and he looked around hoping to find somwhere to hide.

The only thing nearby was a small chair that he forced himself under to which Lovino found strange until he felt a hand on his head. "Que haces, Lovi?" Antonio crouched down beside him and Lovino quickly closed the book. "Nothing," he said with a frown. Antonio caught sight of the familiar red book with golden drawings.

"Eh? Where did you get this book?" He asked reaching for it. Almost immediately Lovino snatched it and held it against his chest. "I asked Ned to help me read. I wanted to surprise you with a story you haven't heard," Lovino said with a frown.

Antonio smiled and patted his head. "I've been all around the world so I doubt there's a story I haven't heard." Lovino nodded, still refusing to hand the book over. "Lovi, can I ask you something?" He asked. Lovino visually paled to which Arthur panicked at.

"Where did you get this book? Did Ned give it to you?" Lovino shook his head and Antonio raised an eyebrow. "I found it. By the garden," he said. Antonio glared at the small boy. "Did you? And can you tell me why you went out the other night when it was pouring rain?"

"I left the book outside and wanted to find it," he said. "Are you sure there's not someone coming into the house?" Lovino shook his head and Antonio sighed. "Okay." He smiled and began to tug on Lovino's curl. "You always make such sad and angry faces. Smile for once, won't cha?" He asked.

Lovino turned red and tried to pull away. "Come on. Don't be like Ned. Smile for boss. I bet you'd look so much cuter," Antonio said. "Fine. I'll smile," Lovino replied in a huff. His lips twitched up into a strange look before he gave a good smile.

"Ah, so cute!" Antonio yelled hugging the boy. "Let me go, you bastard!" He yelled as he struggled out of his grasp. "Boss has some work to do today. No running out into the garden, okay?" He patted his head and walked out before something else hit him.

Lovino had the worst fever just yesterday, now he didn't so much as even show symptoms.

He looked back inside the room to see him opening the book again and patting it down. His eyes wandered the room, not spotting anything out of place before he left completely. He passed Ned who was struggling to wring out laundry.

He took the shirt from his hand and twisted it before looking down at the blonde. "Be a man. A strained wrist is nothing. Try swinging an axe with a dislocated shoulder and a broken ankle then we can consider a break," he said tossing the shirt back.

"I have business to attend to. Watch out for anyone passing the garden," Antonio said earning a questionable face as he left. Now there was one thing he was sure about. Kirkland was somewhere nearby and he managed to get near the house.

...

 **A/N: have a chapter! I don't have friends to hang out with so I might update another one later tonight. The life of a loser is great at times. I get to sleep in peace.**

 **Also this story most likely will have only have 10-12 chapters so just be ready for that.**


	9. Chapter 9

Antonio stared at the room full of his men. "Well. It seems Kirkland got fools of us," he said drinking from the bottle of alcohol. "He's been sneaking around my home. Left a book in my garden and my henchman picked it up." He said. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even have noticed. I don't know what kind of magic he used to get by not seen but he did it. The sneaky bastard."

The men began to yell things out. "I say we burn the ship. With nowhere better to go, we'll spot him in town," a man said. "I agree. We burn it now. We're going to find that hijo de puta and kill him." He chugged the remains of the bottle before breaking it against the wall.

"No one plays Captain Antonio Fernandez Carriedo for a fool," he said. "I'm the best Pirate there is." The room erupted into cheer and the men left to complete their task. "Now. I have to go check home. Make sure no rabbit is stealing my carrots," he said stumbling away, the effects of alcohol taking over.

...

Ned looked into the library to see Lovino sitting with a book. He went in crouched beside him. "How are you doing?" He asked. Lovino looked up and shrugged. "I'm okay," he said looking back down at the book.

"Can you read to us?" Lovino asked. "Us?" Ned asked raising an eyebrow. "Yes. Me and the rabbit," Lovino said. Ned looked to the small stuffed rabbit on his side and shrugged. "Okay then," he said picking up the large red book.

Lovino smiled and crawled over to the couch. "Come out. Ned won't hurt you," he said. Ned watched him completely confused as Lovino had his face buried under the chair and talked to himself.

Arthur was now panicking and shaking his head violently. If the blonde saw him, he would surely recognize that he wasn't from around there. "Come on. He won't hurt you. Right Ned?" Lovino asked. "Lovino. Who are you talking too?" He asked.

"The magic rabbit. Please come out," Lovino said again. Arthur gave a look of fear and curled further back. "Lovino," Ned started. "Promise you won't hurt him, Ned. Maybe that will make him feel better," Lovino said. Ned nodded. "Okay. I promise," he said thickly. Lovino smiled and looked at Arthur. "Please come out. Ned is nice. You'll like him," Lovino said. Arthur sighed and very slowly began to crawl out. "That's it! Come on out," Lovino said moving back.

Ned's eyes stayed glued and widened as he saw blonde hair stick out from beneath the chair. Arthur looked up at the badly bruised blonde who stared at him in shock. The last thing Ned expected to see was a small boy about Lovino's age.

The thing that stood out most were the sharp green eyes he had that stared at him with fear. He stopped once he was completely out from the chair and stayed staring nervously. Ned's heart was pounding and he out the book aside before very slowly moving closer.

He reached foward very slowly and stopped as the small boy flinched. When Arthur opened his eyes again, Ned continued to move until he placed his large hand ontop his head. Arthur relaxed as Ned gently ruffled his hair.

He gave a small chuckle and moved his hand behind his ears and gently rubbed them. Arthur nearly melted into the touch but a loud sound made them freeze. The door opening and closing. Arthur panicked and ran off as Ned had turned away.

"Wait. Don't go!" Lovino said as Arthur hopped out of the window. He went to catch up but was pulled by Ned who shushed him. Just then Antonio showed up and looked at the scene.

Lovino had a look of surprise while Ned tugged on his arm. "Ned. What are you doing to Lovino?" He asked darkly. "What?" Ned asked confused. "Why are you hurting my henchman," he growled. "He's not hurting me," Lovino said nervously. "Then why are you grabbing him like that?" Antonio asked stepping in.

He pulled Lovino behind him and glared back at the blonde. "You're drunk," Ned said as the scent of alcohol hit him. "Just go to bed before you cause more problems." Antonio gritted his teeth and sent a hard punch straight into the blonde's face. Ned growled and looked at the small boy who stared in absolute horror.

"Lovino. Go to your room," Ned said. Another hit. "You don't order my henchman around," Antonio said. He grabbed the blonde by his collar and pulled him closer. "Seriously when will you ever learn your place?"

"Stop it! Leave him alone!" Lovino yelled tugging on his Boss's coat. "Lovino go to your room!" Ned said harshly, earning another hit. Lovino's fist tightened and he ran out with water eyes. "You made my Lovi cry," Antonio growled sending another hit. Ned glared up at Antonio. He couldn't take it anymore. He was going to fight back at last.

...

 **A/N: So this is a really short chapter wow. But as it turns out, next chapter is the last one.**

 **Enjoy the photo I guess of doll versions of Romano and England.**

 **Another thing, the book that Arthur has, I am currently actually writing it. It is told with Romania and Bulgaria as the main characters. It's called 'Minel and the dragon'**

 **Also thanks for those who read, favorite and review. You guys are awesome!**


	10. Chapter 10

Ned tightened his fist and hit back with full force, sending Antonio back. He stood and pushed the bookcase over him before running upstairs. He broke through Bella's room who made a look of horror. "Hurry, we're leaving," he said. She stood and looked at him disbelief. "Where's Lovino?" He asked checking the different rooms.

When he didn't find him, he began to panic. "Lovino!" He ran around looking for the small boy. Bella was shoving their things into a bag and ran out to check outside. "Lovino!" Ned turned to go outside and found Antonio stumbling out of the room.

"You bastard," he hissed, tackling the blonde to the floor.

...

Lovino had left outside when he had ran out. He ran past the garden and into the tall grass crying. "Mr. Rabbit!" He yelled. "Where are you. Please help," he cried as he looked around.

...

Bella looked in every little hiding spot yelling the boy's name. She was scared of what was happening. She wanted to find Lovino and leave immediately.

...

Arthur had it made it back to ship and gasped at the sight. The entire thing was set ablaze with men surrounding it. He gritted his teeth and held back his tears. He couldn't believe what was happening. He sat down and fisted his eyes before hearing yelling.

He recognized the voice instantly. Lovino. He ran into the grass and bumped hard into the crying boy and falling back. "Lovino. What's the matter?" He asked going up to the boy.

"You have to help Ned. He and Antonio are fighting again," he sobbed. Arthur's eyes widened and he ran towards the house, Lovino following after him. He heard the girl calling out and hid while Lovino ran into her arms. She picked him up and began to yell out for Ned.

...

Ned had managed to get a few good hits on Antonio and was now towering over him, hitting him straight in the face. He was letting everything out and it wasn't until Bella's screams finally reached him that he stopped.

He stood and looked down at Antonio grabbing his surely broken nose. He felt a tinge of happiness seeing Antonio's bloody face. "Go fuck yourself, Carriedo," he spat before running out.

He found Bella holding Lovino and he ran towards them. "We're leaving. Now," he said pushing the two forward. "Wait. But the rabbit!" Lovino said struggling out of Bella's grasp. "Ned, I don't want to go!" He said reaching back towards the house.

"Lovino! You can't go back. He's dangerous, we have to go," Ned said taking Lovino as Bella was struggling to keep hold of him. "Mr. Rabbit!" Lovino cried out. He kicked hard enough for Ned to let go and he fell to the ground before running foward. Ned chased after him and barely managed to grab him when Antonio stepped in front of the two.

The two looked up in horror as Antonio stood, axe in hand. "Let go of him," he growled. Ned gripping Lovino harder and shook his head.

"You can leave. Go ahead, go fucking die but you can't have my Lovi," he growled. "No! He's coming with me," Ned yelled pushing Lovino behind him. He was trembling and Bella watched in horror, too scared to move.

"Lovi. Come to boss," he said gripping the axe tighter. Ned stayed glaring as Lovino stayed frozen in fear. "Lovino. Come here!" Antonio yelled making the boy flinch and cry harder.

Antonio growled and pulled Lovino harshly, breaking him from Ned's hold. The small boy fell back behind the large Spaniard and watched him raise the giant axe.

Ned's eyes widened and he got ready for everything to end. With this, everyone stayed frozen except Arthur who had been watching in horror the entire time. He launched forward, pushing himself as fast as he could with his small body. He didn't know what he would do, but it had to be something.

Faster. He had to make it. The axe came down and Arthur felt his muscles tighten before feeling his entire body ache. His body grew back into size and he managed to grab onto the axe handel just as the axe scraped the blonde's face.

Everyone stared wide eyed at the now adult blonde who was gasping for air and clutching the axe tightly. He glared up to Antonio who went into a smirk. "There you are, Kirkland," he said pulling his axe back.

Arthur stood straight in front of the blonde on the floor and crossed his arms, his old dirty pirate coat making him look larger than he really was. "I knew you were evil, but this is something else," he said glaring. "Come here, Lovino." He said looking at the boy who was still crying.

Lovino stared at the blonde surprised. He looked at the deep green eyes and messy blonde hair. The eyebrows made him realize that this was in fact the magic rabbit. He stood and Antonio watched with shock as he ran into his arms. "Mr. Rabbit!" He yelled out as Arthur picked him up. "I'll be taking my leave now and I'm taking the kids with me," he said pushing Lovino's head into his chest.

"You're not my wife, Kirkland. You can't just take what's mine," Antonio said with a glare. "I'm the best bloody pirate in the seven seas. I do what I please and take what I want." With that he turned to Ned who was staring at him with shock, blood heavily dripping down his face. "Let's go," he said.

Ned stared at the sharp green eyes that he had definitely seen on the small boy. He nodded and stood, following him as he walked away.

"You damn rat. Give me back my henchman!" Antonio yelled going forward and raising his axe.

Arthur turned around and pulled out the pistol in his belt before firing it. His green eyes stared darkly as the Spaniard dropped the axe and clutched his throat as blood spurted out. Bella gasped and Ned stared wide eyed.

Arthur pushed Lovino's face back into his chest as he tried to look up and turned around. "Let's go," he said softly and walked towards Bella. "My name is Arthur Kirkland. I'm a British pirate and I'm going to take you in until you're old enough to be out on your own," he told the siblings.

Bella started crying and Ned looked at him. "Are you seriously the rabbit boy?" Ned asked surprised. "Yes. I accidentally cursed myself and ended up here as a rabbit hybrid," he answered.

"Cursed? I think you were pretty lucky if we ended up out of here," Ned said. "Guess the rabbit's foot is lucky after all then," he replied, a sly smile coming onto his face. "Let's go."

...

( _Extra- half a year later)_

Lovino held the book close to his face as he read. "Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew. Or that the everlasting had not fixed his canon 'gainst self-slaughter. O God, God."

Arthur smiled to the blonde beside him.

"Isn't Hamlet a bit too difficult for him," Ned asked. "Nonsense. He's a fast learner," Arthur told him.

"O most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to in. Incent-" Lovino stuttered.

"Incestuous sheets," Arthur helped. Lovino nodded and continued.

"Incestuous sheets. It is not nor it cannot come to good but break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue."

Bella clapped and Lovino smiled. "Very good, Lovino. Bella, why don't you pick up next?" Arthur said. She nodded and picked up the book and followed after.

"She's struggling," Ned murmured as Bella struggled through the words. "Pipe up because you're next," Arthur told him. "Seriously out of you three, Lovino was the easiest to teach after he got past the first line." Ned sighed and Bella gave a nervous laugh.

"How about you prepare dinner, Bella. Ned can take over for you," Arthur said. The blonde sighed in relief and went to the kitchen. "Can I help?" Lovino asked jumping up. "I don't see why not," Arthur said. The small boy got up and ran off, leaving Ned alone with Arthur.

"You look so much better without all those bruises," he told him. Ned sighed and opened the book. "I want to forget what happened," he said. "You won't ever forget. We all have scars from our past that will always haunt us. The best thing is to accept and I move on," Arthur said picking up the book.

Ned rubbed the remaining scar on his forehead and shrugged it off before continuing with the passage. Forgetting or not, he was just glad they made it out together. And it was all thanks to a little boy and the magic rabbit he found by the garden.

...

 **A/N: WAAH~ I DON'T WANT TO END THIS FIC! But all is done and I want to thank everyone who read this far. Reviewers were awesome and so are you who favorited.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it! (Yes Antonio is dead) and I'm sure you all know I don't own Hetalia nor do I own Hamlet. Love you guys!**


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